By Randall Hull
What to do when your Mac falls off the network
In our column, running every other week, we will offer solutions to your personal computer problems. We welcome your questions, no matter how challenging.
Q: I have a Mac computer linked to a network of Mac computers at work. My computer frequently pulls a disappearing act without warning. One moment, it’s on the network. A few moments later, it’s off. Then it’s back on again. I suspected a faulty cord, but the same problem continued when I replaced it. What’s next?
A: This type of problem is currently appearing with a number of iMacs and Gigabit PowerMac G4s connected to traditional 10 megabit bay-stacks and new 10/100 auto-sensing switches. The issue is most common to Macs from the summer 2000 product line. It isn’t clear whether it’s an issue with the firmware or the OS.
We understand there is a fix in the works at Apple. In the meantime, try one of these work-arounds:
Find both the AppleShare Prep file and AppleTalk preferences. Throw them in the trash and restart your computer. While starting up hold down the Option, Command (Apple), P and R keys. This will zap the PRAM (short for Parameter RAM). Your Mac should behave normally. Unfortunately, only for awhile though. We discovered the network connection works for one use only. The next time you restart your Mac, you’ll have to repeat the same process.
For a possibly less temporary solution: Find last year’s copy of Apple’s unsupported Duplexer Tool. Put the Duplexer Extension in your System Folder and restart. The user who discovered this fix experienced a slight delay with their network connecting at startup. Yet their Mac has worked fine since.
Q: I have an EZC International PC with an AMD K6 chip. I am using WIN 98 and when I go to shut down, the image goes to the WIN logo and says “Windows Shutting Down,” but it does not. It stops there forever. I have to manually press the off button to shut down completely. What can I do to remedy this?
Russ Schonberg, Los Altos Hills
A: Several things can cause this problem. If you are running either McAfee or Norton AntiVirus programs configured to scan your floppy disk drive when you shut down, your system will hang.
This has been experienced with Win98 and Win98 Second Edition. Contact your antivirus program manufacturer for an update or software patch. You can also configure your antivirus program not to scan the floppy disk drive at shut down. Check the documentation that came with your antivirus program or contact the manufacturer.
This will also occur if you are using Norton AntiVirus with Auto-Protect enabled. Try either of these: disable the Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect feature or obtain the latest LiveUpdate for Norton AntiVirus (Symevnt.exe) from Symantec’s Web site. (For more information about how to obtain LiveUpdate files, contact Symantec Technical Support.) Microsoft’s Knowledge Base offers an article on this problem: Q202633 How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 Shutdown Problems.
If your computer uses Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) and the Fast Shutdown feature is disabled, the problem will manifest itself. Microsoft has confirmed this problem with Win98. It was supposedly corrected in Win98SE.
There is a fix, but it is only intended to correct this specific problem. If you are sure this is it, surf over to http://support.microsoft.com/directory/overview.asp. You can also try a work-around by enabling the Fast Shutdown feature. Follow these steps:
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System tools, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, click System Configuration Utility.
3. On the General tab, click Advanced.
4. Click the Disable Fast Shutdown check box to clear it, click OK, and then click OK again.
5. Click Yes when you are prompted to restart your computer.
Microsoft’s Knowledge Base offers an article on this problem: Q187607 How to Disable Fast Shutdown in Windows 98
According to Microsoft, your PC can also hang at the shutdown “because the Apmbatt.sys component is not responding to the system shutdown notification from the operating system and could enter an endless loop.” The Win98SE Shutdown Supplement addresses this and other shutdown issues. You possibly can resolve these issues by following the steps in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Q202633 How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 Shutdown Problems. There is a patch available but you should review Microsoft’s instructions on this issue before installing it.
Last, but not least, if you shut down and you have several mapped network drives (network drives that have been assigned a local drive letter), your PC will hang. Microsoft has confirmed this problem in Win98 and Win98SE. The best work-around for this situation is to disconnect all mapped network drives before you shut down or upgrade to Windows Millennium Edition (Me).
Products mentioned in this column are offered as possible solutions to specific problems. Neither the author nor this newspaper endorses the products or their manufacturers.
When submitting your computer problems please be as specific and succinct as possible in describing what you are experiencing. Due to space constraints, please keep your question to 100 words or less. Send your question to: TechTalk, Town Crier, 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022; or email: techtalk@latc.com.
Randall Hull is a Los Altos resident and Owner/Creative Director of The Br@nd Ranch, an advertising and marketing agency serving technology companies.
